NPR News Now - NPR News: 04-26-2025 8AM EDT

Episode Date: April 26, 2025

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Do you remember when discovering a new artist felt like finding buried treasure? At All Songs Considered, NPR's music recommendation podcast, we put that kind of magic back into discovering new tracks. We're here to make the hunt for new music easy, delivering you the cream of the crop from every genre. We'll help you make music feel fun again, only on All Songs Considered from NPR. Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder. In Rome today tens of thousands lined the streets to see Pope Francis' casket

as it was driven to its final resting place. NPR's Jason DeRose has more on Pope Francis' final journey. After the funeral at St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis' body was driven across town, over the Tiber, to St. Mary Major Basilica, where he is being buried. He was met there by a group of, in fact, the people that he spent his time in ministry to, the poor, refugees, transgender people,

people who are the victims of violence. I think it was a fitting end for his body to be seen to the grave by the people who he welcomed into communion with the church. The Vatican estimates some 250,000 people packed into St. Peter's Square today for the Pope's funeral. The crowd included dozens of foreign leaders, including President Trump. Attorney General Pam Bondi has rescinded a Biden-era Justice Department policy that provided protections for journalists and leak investigations. The move paves the way for the use of subpoenas and other investigative tools against reporters as part of such probes. Here's NPR's Ryan Lucas. Ryan Lucas, NPR Reporter, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR

News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR News, NPR's Ryan Lucas. Fondy announced the changes in a memo to Justice Department employees. The document, obtained by NPR, says the department will not tolerate the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information to the media. The new policy allows for the use of subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants to compel production of information and testimony by journalists. Such actions must be approved by DOJ leadership, reporters must be given advance notice, and the requests must be as narrow as possible.

The policy change comes as news outlets continue to report stories with leaked information that has angered the administration. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says in a statement that strong protections for journalists serve the public by safeguarding the free flow of information. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington. President Trump has approved part of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear's request for a major disaster declaration from the April flooding that hit much of the state. Stan Engold, a member of station WEKU, reports. The president approved individual assistance

for Kentuckians in 13 of the counties affected by the most recent flooding. The governor's request also included public assistance for 33 counties and hazard mitigation for the entire state. Those portions of the request are still pending. The Governor will request that additional counties be added to the declaration through an amendment once ongoing assessments are complete. Seven Kentuckians died as a result of the flooding earlier this month. This is the second major flooding event in Kentucky in three months.

Kentucky was recently denied federal public assistance in two counties, as well as federal individual assistance for families in six other counties affected by February's flood event. For NPR News, I'm Stan Engold in Richmond, Kentucky. You're listening to NPR News. Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged gunfire for a second straight night. The Indian Army says its troops along the militarized border in disputed Kashmir responded overnight to what it said was unprovoked small arms fire from multiple Pakistani army posts.

The gunfire follows last week's deadly attack on tourists blamed on Pakistani militants. President Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Whitcoff is in Oman today for more talks aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some economic sanctions. The meeting is being held as officials in Iran say hundreds reported injured in a huge explosion at the port in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas. Finnish researchers have found that harmful habits can cause health declines as early as age 36, Jerry Schultz reports on a new study.

More than 300 residents born in 1959 in Uvascula, Finland, had health data collected at ages 27, 36, 42, 50, and 61. Researchers looked at the impact on mental and physical well-being of behaviors termed both risky and modifiable. Smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity. They found that by age 36, these behaviors caused more depression, lower psychological well-being, lower self-perception of health, and metabolic risk factors. Alcohol had the most wide-ranging negative impact. The researchers conclude that while any one of the risky behaviors contributes to diseases,

disability, and premature death, together they have a cumulative impact on public health that has not been sufficiently examined. For NPR News, I'm Terri Schultz. And I'm Giles Snyder. This is NPR News from Washington. These days there is a lot of news. It can be hard to keep up with what it means for you, This is NPR News from Washington.